Device for the recovery of torpedoes.



1.1. JOYCE.

DEVIC FOR THE RECOVERY OF TORPEDOES.

APPLICATION HLED AUG. 22,1916.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

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JAMES J. JOYCE, F .ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND.

DEVICE FOB THE RECOVERY 0F TORPEDOES.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

Application led August 22, 1916. Serial No. 116,282.

To all lwhom, z't may concern.'

Beit known that I, JAMEs J. JOYCE, a citi-A zen of the United States, and a resident of Annapolis, in the county of Anne Arundel and State of Maryland, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Devices for the Recovery of Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to devices for the recovery of torpedoes which miss their mark, become accidentally displaced from their launching tubes, or areotherwise casually lost and submerged in water.

The principal object of my invention is to provide simple and compact devices which may be disposed Within the shell of torpedoes, preferably aft and in such a manner as to operate only after any torpedo has been submerged for a considerable length of time, releasing a buoy and cable, the former of which becomes visible on the surface of-the water, with the cable intermediate and attached to the buoy and torpedo. This enables seamen to locate the torpedo and recover the same.

Another object of my invention is to provide devices of the character described which may be applied to the type of torpedoes now used in warfare, and in such a manner as to not impede forward movement of the torpedo, and utilizing any available space such as that adjacent the propeller drive shaft at the rear end of the torpedo, so that, should the torpedo become buried with its forward end lowermost in the mud or sub-soil of a -body of water, the device is free to operate for the purpose set forth.

Other objects of my invention will appear in the following detailed description,

l taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and in which drawing: s

Figure 1 is a view of a submerged torpedo equipped with a device constructed according to my invention, and disclosing a signaling buoy at the surface of the water.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view partly in elevation and partly in section showing the device carried at the interior of the torpedo shell.

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view through the device and a` portion of the torpedo shell.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the .65 line 4---4 of Fig. 3. j

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of means for retaining a movable shell section of the torpedo in fluid-tight engagement with the shell, a part of releasing mechanism bemg shown in operative relation thereto.

Fig. 6 is a detailed perspective view of the end portion of a catch member.

In the drawing, where similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the views, A designates a torpedo, B a movable shell section or door thereof; C a receptacle in the torpedo closable by said shell section B; D a buoy; E a cable secured to the torpedo A and buoy D; F a device normally tending to force shell .section B from the torpedo A; G means for releasably retaining the shell section in fluid-tight engagement with the torpedo; and, H hydraulic mechanism for lreleasing means G.

There is considerable space available, for- Ward or aft in torpedoes to accommodate a receptacle C, which may be made of sheet metal, or a casting, secured within the shell 10 of the torpedo in any suitable manner, with the movable shell section B normally closing said receptacle.

The shell section B may be hingedly carried by theshell 10, as by being provided with an arcuate rib 11 to extend beneath the shell 10 at one end of the opening to receptacle C, it being preferred to interpose a gasket 12 about the margins of the shell section B in engagement with the shell 10 of the torpedo.

Within the receptacle C, preferably adjacent one end thereof is disposed a buoy D which may be of any suitable type and the cable E, the latter being secured to the torpedo A, as by having its one end portion trained through an eye 13 secured to the bottom of the receptacle, said end portions being bound together so as to securely attach the cable to the torpedo. The other end portion of the cable may be secured to the buoy as by eye 14 in a similar manner.

As a suitable device normally tending to force the shell section B from the torpedo, a spring 15 may be provided adjacent the rib 11, said spring secured to the shell 10 as by block 16 and rivets 17, the free end portion 18 of the spring bearing against the underside of shell section B and having a tendency to swing the same about rib 11 when released. 4

As to means G for retaining the shell section B in fluid-tight engagement with the shell 10, it may vcomprise an abutment 19, in the form of a wedge, carried by the I eceptacle C at the interior thereof opposite from device F; and, a. spring catch 20 carried by shell section B and provided With extensions 21 which, when the shell section is forced toward the shell B, ride overk the face of abutment 19 and engage at the underside thereof. The catch 20 is also provided with a stem 22, for a purpose to be subsequently set forth.

Referring now to the hydraulic mechanism H for releasing the means G, it comprises, in the exampleY shown, a levery 23, pivotally carried by bracket 24.- secured within the receptacle C; a tank 25 carried by lever 23 and provided with a perforation 26 in its upper wall open to a port 27 in the shell section B; a device 28, such as a spring for yieldably retaining said tank in a raised position, and with its upper face in intimate Contact with the shell Section B about perforation 26, said device counteracted by said tank when containing a quantity of liquid so as to permit the tank to move downwardly; and, an adjustable dog 29 movable with lever and engaging the stem 22 of catch 20 as is clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. The dog 29 may be in the fam of a screw, provided with a head 30 in the upper portion of which is formed a recess 31 to receive the stem 22, the dog being in screw-threaded engagement with the lever 23 as is clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing so as to be moved transversely of the offset 32 of the lever.

If desired, the port 27 may be formed by a sleeve 33 extending from the inner face of shell section D and entering the perforation 26 in tank 25.

The operation of the device is as follows: Should the torpedo miss its mark, become accidentally displaced from the launching tube, or otherwise become submerged in Water without exploding, water will gradually ow through port 27 into tank 25. When the said tank has accumulated a sulicient quantity of water from the exterior of the torpedo it will counteract upon the device 28 swinging the lever 23, due to the force of gravity which action in return will cause dog 29 to release catch 2O from abutment 19, whereupon the device F will force the shell section B from the torpedo or swing it about its axis. Water may then enter the receptacle C and the buoy D will at once rise carrying with it convolutions of the cable E, they buoy rising to the surface of the water and serving as a signal in order that the torpedo may be recovered in the manner hereinbefore set forth.

The port 27 must be of a size so as to permit a quantity of water to enter the tank 25 only after the torpedo has been submerged for a considerable length of time and not large enough so as to permit the shell section B to become released under normal conditions.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of' my invention; but,

I claim:

1. A device for the recovery of torpedoes comprising in combination with a movable shell section thereof, a device normally tending to force said shell section from the torpedo, means for releasably retaining said shell Ysection inY fluid-tight engagement with the shell of the torpedo, a receptacle in said torpedo closable by said shell section, a buoy and cable in said receptacle, said cable secured to said buoy and the torpedo, and means within said receptacle operated by the weight of a predetermined quantity of water, deriving its source of water from the exterior of the torpedo for releasing said shell Section retaining means after a pre determined quantity of water is in operative relation to said hydraulic means.

2. A device for the recovery of torpedoes comprising in combination with a movable shell section thereof, means for releasably retaining said shell section in fluid-tight engagement with the shell of the torpedo, a receptacle in said torpedo closable by said shell section, a buoy and cable in said receptacle, said cable secured t0 said buoy and the torpedo, and means within said receptacle operated by the weight of a predetermined quantity of water, derivin its source of water from the exterior of t e torpedo for releasing said shell-section retaining means after a predetermined quantity of water is in operative relation to said hydraulic means.

3. A device for the recovery of torpedoes comprising in combination with a movable shell section thereof provided with a small port permitting flow ingress of a small quantity of liquid to within the torpedo, a device normally tending to force said shell section from the torpedo, means for releasably retaining said shell section in fluidtight engagement with the shell of the torpedo, a receptacle in said torpedo closable by said shell section, a buoy and cable in said receptacle, said cable secured to said buoy and the torpedo, a movable tank within said receptacle normally open to the said port in said shell section, means for yieldably retaining said tank in a raised position, but counteracted by said tank when containing a quantity of liquid of predetermined weight, so as to permit the tank to move downwardly, and a device actuated by downward movement of said tank to release said shell-section retaining means.

4:. A-device for the recovery of torpedoes comprising in combination with a movable shell section thereof provided with a small port permitting ingress of a small quantity of liquid to within the torpedo, a device normally tending to force said shell section from the torpedo, means for releasably retaining said shell section in Huid-tight engagement with the shell of the torpedo, a receptacle in said torpedo cloible by said shell section, a buoy and cable in said receptacle, said cable secured to said buoy and the torpedo, a lever in said receptacle, a tank carried by said lever normally open to the said port of said shell section, mea-ns for yieldably retaining said tank in a raised position, but counteracted by said tank when containing a quantity of liquid so as to permit the tank to move downwardly,v and an adjustable dog carried by `said lever and adapted to release said shell-section retaining means when said tank moves downwardly.

5. A device for the recovery of torpedoes comprising in combination with a movable shell section thereof provided with a small port permitting ingress of a small quantity of liquid to within the torpedo, a device normally tending to force said shell section from the torpedo, means for releasably retaining the said shell Section in Huid-tight engagement with the shell of the torpedo, a receptacle in said torpedo closable by said shell section, a buoy and cable in said receptacle, said cable secured to said buoy and the torpedo, a movable tank Within said receptacle provided with a perforation in its top open to said port of said shell section, means for yieldably retaining said tank in a raised position .with its top in intimate contact with said shell section about said perforation, but counteracted by said tank when containing a quantity of liquid, so as to permit the tank to move downwardly, and a device actuated by downward movement of said tank to release said shell-section retaining means.

6. In a device for the recovery of torpedoes, the combination of a receptacle including a movable shell section, a buoy and cable in said receptacle, said cable secured to said buoy and the torpedo, and means within said receptacle operable by the weight of a predetermined quantity of Water, deriving its source ofwater from the exterior of the receptacle for releasing said shell section when a quantity -of water of predetermined weight is in operative relation to said hydraulic means.

v JAMES J. JOYCE. 

